Shadowing Practice: I Cut These 5 Things—and My Life Instantly Changed - Learn English Speaking with Video

- Your life doesn't feel off because you're missing something.

It feels off because there are things draining you every single day and you have gotten used to it.

That was me.

High functioning, doing all the things, hitting my deadlines, showing up for everyone.

On the outside, it looked like I had it together, but inside, I was tired.

Distracted Flat.

So I did something radical.

I didn't add anything.

I didn't optimize or buy a new planner or download another app.

I started cutting, deleting.

And within days, everything shifted.

I'll be honest, at first it felt weird.

I'm a doctor by training.

I have spent years in environments where the solution was always to add more.

More medication, more supplements, more hacks.

So the idea that less could actually be the fix, that was uncomfortable for me.

But it worked. and momentum.

These aren't your usual "stop drinking soda" types of tips.

Some of them are sneaky, some of them hurt a little at first, but all of them made my life instantly better.

And I'll say this upfront, once you start cutting these drains, you'll start noticing them everywhere.

It's like decluttering your closet.

Suddenly you're side -eyeing every sweater that you have been carrying around since 2015.

Except in this case, it's your energy.

So let's get into it.

playing all the time.

Podcasts in the car, YouTube videos while I cooked, Netflix in the background while I answered emails, even falling asleep to just one more episode.

And I told myself that this was efficient.

I'm learning while I chop onions or I'm winding down with some background noise.

Totally harmless.

Except it wasn't harmless because when I finally stopped, I realized I

years i'd outsourced every quiet moment of my life to other

people's voices here's the thing our brains need quiet neuroscientists have

studied something called the default mode network that's the part of your brain

that lights up when you're not actively doing anything

when you're daydreaming you're staring out the window or just sitting in silence and guess what that is when your brain

processes emotions and consolidates memories.

It's literally the space where creativity and self -awareness live.

But if you constantly flood your brain with input, the default mode network never kicks in.

You stay in consumption mode, not creation mode.

When I cut the background noise, I thought it would feel boring.

At first it actually felt itchy, like I couldn't just be then something amazing happened.

I started having actual ideas again.

I solved problems in the shower.

I felt calmer.

I even noticed silly little things like the sound of my own knife chopping vegetables,

which sounds small, but it made me feel present in my life again.

So thing number one was cutting the background noise.

And this wasn't just about peace and quiet.

It was about been giving away.

And once I felt that shift, it made me start questioning other things that I had been letting hijack my attention.

Like...

The very first thing that I looked at every single morning.

For years, my mornings started with headlines.

I'd roll over, grab my phone, and immediately get hit with breaking news.

Earthquakes, political scandals, economic crashes, and of course, celebrity divorces, because apparently my brain needed that at 6 30 in the morning.

And the worst part?

I thought I was being responsible, the world

but what i was actually doing was serving myself a buffet

of stress before i'd even had coffee there's a reason for this psychologists talk about something called negativity bias

and maybe you've heard about this our brains are hardwired to

latch on to bad news more than good news it was a survival mechanism back in the caveman days

and news outlets know this that's in the most alarming way possible,

because fear and outrage keep you clicking.

One study from the American Psychological Association found

that heavy news consumers actually report higher stress levels and more sleep problems and more difficulty concentrating,

all because of what they are feeding their brains first thing in the morning.

So when I cut morning news, I expected to feel irresponsible.

Like, what if I missed something important?

But here's what actually happened.

Nothing blew up.

The world kept turning.

And I started my mornings with my own thoughts, not CNNs.

Now I give myself at least the first hour of the day without news, sometimes much longer.

I still stay informed.

I just do it Honestly,

the things that I used to panic over at 6 :30 AM, by 11 :00 AM, they're either resolved or already forgotten by everyone.

So basically I was giving away my peace of mind for things that didn't even matter by lunchtime.

So if you want to start your day with clarity and calm, try cutting the morning news.

That's thing number two to cut.

Protect those first minutes of your day like they're sacred.

Now, once I did that, another sneaky habit but before we get there let me just quickly share something

that might help if you're craving a fresh start because

if this is resonating with you i want to invite you to join me for something

that i created called the reset it's a free five -day challenge designed to help you to reset your energy

and focus and mindset each day you'll get a short email a printable It's doable and honestly,

it's like a mini intervention for your life.

If you've been feeling drained stuck or just overdue for a reset This is your chance.

Go ahead and get started by just clicking the link in the description.

Okay Let's talk about the next thing

that I cut this one looked like it was about being organized

But really it was about fear and it was draining me in ways

that I didn't even realize I used to be the queen of pens,

two notebooks, and a highlighter, just in case.

Traveling, I would pack five outfits for a two -day trip.

Because what if there was a freak snowstorm or a surprise black -tie dinner?

It made me feel prepared, but what it really made me was exhausted.

Because just in case wasn't about being organized, it was about fear.

Fear that something would go wrong and I wouldn't be able to handle it.

Psychologists call this intolerance of and it's strongly linked to anxiety.

100

The more that we try to eliminate every possible risk, the more cluttered and stressed we actually become.

101

There's also research showing that physical clutter increases cortisol levels.

102

That's your body's stress hormone.

103

So all that extra stuff, all those backup plans, they don't just take up space in your bag,

104

they take up space first,

105

like leaving the house with one pen instead of three felt reckless.

106

But here's what happened: nothing catastrophic.

107

And actually the opposite.

108

I felt lighter.

109

I had more energy.

110

I trusted myself more because I wasn't outsourcing my confidence to an extra sweater or backup charger.

111

I started believing that I could handle things as they came.

112

And let's be honest, the apocalypse has never once arrived because I only packed one pair of dress shoes.

113

The worst that's happened is I wore the same pair twice and what?

114

Nobody noticed.

115

So thing number three is cutting just -in -case thinking.

116

And to be clear, just -in -case wasn't about minimalism for the sake of it.

117

It was about shifting out of fear and into trust.

118

And that freed up so much mental space.

119

But there was still one drain that wasn't about clutter or stuff at all.

120

It was in my own head.

121

And cutting this next one, it changed have a lot of airtime.

122

Anytime I was about to try something new, launch a video, speak on stage, try a new sport, the voice would start.

123

"Who do you think you are?

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You're going to mess this up.

125

Everyone else has it figured out but you." And because it was my own voice, I believed it.

126

I thought, well, this must be the truth.

127

But really, it was just a bad loop that I had gotten used to directly impacts performance and resilience.

128

Psychologists talk about self -perception theory, the idea that we learn who we are by watching what we do,

129

and that includes how we talk to ourselves.

130

And studies have found that athletes who practiced positive self -talk actually perform better under pressure.

131

In contrast, people stuck in negative loops are more likely to quit, even when their actual ability is the same.

132

Here's another fascinating study.

133

When people frame identity positively saying, "I'm a non -smoker" instead of, "I'm trying to quit smoking," they're significantly more likely to succeed.

134

That's identity -based language.

135

And your self -talk is basically identity practice.

136

So when I cut negative self -talk, it wasn't about pretending that everything was perfect.

137

It was about catching that inner critic and asking, "Would I ever talk to a friend this way?" Now,

138

when I notice the old scripts, You're terrible at this.

139

I'll reframe it.

140

I'll say, this is what learning looks like.

141

Growth feels awkward.

142

That doesn't mean that I'm failing.

143

And it sounds small, but the difference in momentum has been massive.

144

I spend less time doubting myself and more time actually doing the thing.

145

Because honestly, my inner critic was basically a mean girl with a microphone.

146

Cutting her airtime, 2 a .m slot on a community radio station, not prime time.

147

Cutting negative self -talk was thing number four that I removed from my life.

148

And doing this wasn't just about being nicer to myself.

149

It was about shifting my identity from someone who tears herself down to someone who backs herself up.

150

And once I made that shift,

151

I realized that there was one last drain that I needed to address was stealing more energy than I realized.

152

Here's a sneaky one.

153

I used to fill every micro gap in my day.

154

Waiting for the kettle to boil?

155

Check email.

156

Standing in line at the store?

157

Scroll Instagram.

158

Even waiting for a Zoom meeting to start, I would cram in one more task.

159

And on the surface, it felt productive.

160

Like, look at me maximizing every second.

161

But really, I was training my brain I mentioned the default mode network a few minutes ago.

162

It's the part of your brain that activates when you're not focused on a task.

163

And as I said, it's crucial for self -reflection, problem solving, and even building your sense of identity.

164

But when you fill every gap with scrolling or planning, the default mode network never switches on.

165

You lose those sparks of

166

of filling gaps it felt uncomfortable at first i would stand in line without pulling out my phone

167

and feel exposed like what am i supposed to do just stare at the wall

168

but here's the wild part once i got used to it

169

those little pauses became my favorite part of the day i would notice my breathing i'd remember something

170

that i was grateful for sometimes a creative idea would just

171

Now I'm officially that person who just stares out the window while the kettle boils.

172

And honestly, it feels kind of rebellious, like everyone else is frantically swiping and I'm over here vibing with my teabag.

173

So thing number five is to cut filling gaps.

174

And for me, cutting the habit of filling gaps didn't just free up time, it gave me back presence.

175

It's where some of the best stuff happens.

176

So let's quickly recap.

177

Here are the five things that I cut that instantly changed my life.

178

One, constant background noise.

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Two, morning news three just in case thinking four negative self -talk

180

and five filling every gap each of these things was draining me quietly every day

181

and once i deleted them i had more energy more clarity

182

and honestly more peace and that's the real takeaway here your life doesn't always change

183

because of what you add it often changes when you cut we live in a world obsessed with more hacks,

184

more habits, more productivity tools.

185

But sometimes the fastest way to feel better is to delete what has been quietly stealing from you.

186

So I'd love to hear from you which one of these do you need to cut first?

187

Or maybe you've already cut something from your life that made a huge difference.

188

Go ahead and drop it in the comments.

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I always love reading what you share.

190

And if this video resonated with you, you will definitely want that quickly changed my life.

191

That one is all about the flip side, the small things that you can add that actually create momentum.

192

I will link it on the next screen coming up and then I'll see you there.

193

Apparently, my brain needed that at 6 :30 in the morning.

194

Of course the phone's ringing now.

195

We'll just ignore that.

196

Growth feels awkward.

197

That doesn't.. ah, the phone again.

198

Maybe it's important.

199

Not likely.

200

Okay, that's a wrap.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This video has 200 sentences and 2186 words to shadow. The speech runs for 15:28. The speaker talks at a steady 141 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 81% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

drain /dɹiːn/ (noun) — A conduit allowing liquid to flow out of an otherwise contained volume; a plughole (UK)
default /dɪˈfɔlt/ (noun) — The condition of failing to meet an obligation.
gap /ɡæp/ (noun) — An opening in anything, made by breaking or parting.
habit /ˈhæb.ɪt/ (noun) — An action performed on a regular basis.
delete /dɪˈliːt/ (verb) — To remove, get rid of or erase, especially written or printed material, or data on a computer or other device.
momentum /ˌmə(ʊ)ˈmɛntəm/ (noun) — Of a body in motion: the tendency of a body to maintain its inertial motion; the product of its mass and velocity, or the vector sum of the products of its…
reset /ɹiːˈsɛt/ (verb) — To set back to the initial state.
psychologist /ˌsaɪˈkɑl.ə.d͡ʒɪst/ (noun) — An expert in the field of psychology.
sneaky /ˈsniːki/ (adjective) — Elusive; difficult to capture or observe due to constantly outwitting the adversaries.
solve /sɒlv/ (verb) — To find an answer or solution to a problem or question; to work out.
steal /stiːl/ (verb) — To take illegally, or without the owner's permission, something owned by someone else without intending to return it.
awkward /ˈɔk.wɚd/ (adjective) — Lacking dexterity in the use of the hands, or of instruments.
loop /luːp/ (noun) — A length of thread, line or rope that is doubled over to make an opening.
instantly /ˈɪnstəntli/ (adverb) — At once; without delay.
backup /ˈbækˌʌp/ (noun) — A reserve or substitute.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

talk about (verb) — Used to draw attention to the speaker's characterization of someone or something.
give away (verb) — To make a gift of (something).
go ahead /ˌɡoʊ əˈhɛd/ (verb) — To proceed with; to begin.
look at (verb) — To observe or watch.
stand in (verb) — To substitute for; to replace
take up (verb) — To pick up.
wait for (verb) — To wait until the specified event occurs.
back in (verb) — To reverse a vehicle into a space.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 57 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, I'm, wasn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: breathe /bɹiːð/, earthquake /ˈɝθkweɪk/, athlete /ˈæθ.liːt/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: contrast /kənˈt(ʃ)ɹæst/, efficient /ɪˈfɪʃənt/, consumption /kənˈsʌmp.ʃən/, crucial /ˈkɹuː.ʃəl/, intervention /ɪntɚˈvɛnʃən/
Long words — get the stress right: momentum /ˌmə(ʊ)ˈmɛntəm/, psychologist /ˌsaɪˈkɑl.ə.d͡ʒɪst/, uncomfortable /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/, anxiety /æŋˈzaɪ.əti/, difficulty /ˈdɪfɪkəlti/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like drain, default, gap.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
“Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true	used to it · used to panic · used to be
Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on	have been carrying · you've been feeling
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	have gotten · have spent · you've heard
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	are hardwired · being organized · was exhausted

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

Grammar in this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?